Bedspring



G. F. VENZKE Sept. 6, 1938.

BEDSPRING Filed April 1, 1938 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .6 Claims.

This invention relates to bed spring constructions and more particularly is directed to lmeans for preventing bed springs from sagging in the middle.

Most bed springs in use at the present time comprise an assembly ofl vertically positioned coils which are interconnected and mounted in a frame, the frame including a plurality of rigid transverse elements which are connected to the coils at the lower ends of said coils to support them. Bed springs of this type are of advantage since the separate coils are adapted to give more or less individual yielding support to any weightsimposed upon them; They have one draw-back, however, which is peculiar principally to double-bed spring constructions. When two people are sleeping in a bed there is a tendency for those springs more or less centrally arranged in the bed to yield downwardly to a degree greater than that desired, with the natural result that the occupants of the bed will roll against each other in the center of the bed with a resulting disturbance of sleep and rest.

It is, therefore, a general object of my invention to provide means for counteracting the tendency of the substantially centrally located coils to yield downwardly too great a distance, and to maintain a relatively flat upper supporting surface for the mattress of the bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for stiiening or reducing the yielding capacity of only the lower portions of the centrally located coils whereby the upper portions of those coils will still retain a comfortable degree of resiliency. y

A further object of the invention is to provide means for reducing the yielding capacity of the coils which means can be readily incorporated in standard spring constructions in use today.

I'hese and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views, and, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of a bed spring with portions of the structure broken away, and other portions shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionA through a bed spring with some of the coils shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the central portion of a coil;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of a modification of my structure; and

Fig. '7 is a section taken on the line 'I-I of Fig. 6.

The spring frame includes a rectangular bottom edge element 8 which is provided with a plurality of rigid transverse bar elements 9, the ends of said transverse elements being flat and secured to the at bottom frame element 8, and the intermediate portions of said transverse elements9 being bent to a substantially vertical position, as best shown in Fig. 2. At spaced points across each of said transverse elements 8 15 are spring coils I0, the lower ends of said coils being suitably fastened to the transverse rigid bar elements. The coils lying upon the bottom frame 8 may be secured thereto in any desired manner such as by welding or by securing with 0 wire or other metal clips. In the particular coil structure shown in the drawing, the central portions of said coils include a plurality of convolutions II which are in contact with each other, and between adjacent convolutions are passed 25 longitudinal and transverse coil stabilizing wires I2 and I3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, those portions of the intermediate brace wires I2 and I3 which lie within the convolutions of said coils are bent slightly to retain the coils against lat- 30 eral movement. The ends of the brace wires extend to the edges of the spring assembly and are secured to a substantially rectangular intermediate frame element I4. The upper ends of the coils are connected by small coil springs 35 I5, as more or less diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. l. An upper rectangular frame element I6 extends around the outside of the outer rows of coils, this frame element being substantially U-shaped in cross section, and being adapted to grip a portion of the upper convolutions of each coil which lies on the outside of the spring assembly.

In Figs. l and 2 there is shown a spring assembly which has a plurality of coils positioned 45 at spaced points down the longitudinal center of the spring structure. It is this line of coils which I reinforce to decrease their downward yielding capacity. One means is accomplished by the provision of a. strip of spring steel I'I, the central portion of which is interposed between those medial convolutions which grip the transverse and longitudinal bracing wires I2 and I3. The ends of the metal band I'I are provided with notches I8 which are wide enough to receive the thickness of the transverse rigid bottom supporting elements 9,A and said notches I8 are adapted to iit into co-operating notches I9 which are cut into the upper edges of said transverse supporting elements 9. Thus when a weight is imposed upon the central springs, the spring steel stiftening band II will resist a considerable amount of downward yielding movement of those portions of the centrally aligned coils which lie below the point of connection of said coils with said spring metal bands. Consequently the relatively heavy weight of two personslying on said'springs will be more greatly resisted by centrally aligned coils than the other coils in the spring assembly. "`It` should be noted, however, that the upper .'por.-

tions of the centrally aligned ,coils to which the metal bands I'I are connected will still have their normal amount of resiliency or yieldability,.'and

the comfort afforded bythe spring is notappreciably affected. If but one personlies upon a bed with my improved',A spring construction, he will not feel a ridge or other evidence of the presence of thel reinforced springsfor the reason that double bed springs will so support the weight of a single person that the presence of the stiffening elements I7 will not cause uneven depression ofthe centrally aligned coils relative to the other coils in thespring assembly.

In Figs. 6 andV '7 there is showna lower transverse coil supporting element which corresponds to the elements IlY in Figs. 1 and 2. In this case, however, the barsrZ are provided with apertures 2I which are adapted toreceve the angularly bent ends 22 of wire stiffening elements 23. This means of connecting a stiiening element of vcircular cross section isrpreferably used since vit would be impractical to utilize the notches I8 and I9l used for anchoring the ends of the above described stiffening bands I 'I to the lower supporting elements, 9.

In describing my invention I have presumed that the spring assembly is to constitute a plurality of coils arrangedin an uneven number of longitudinal rows so that oney longitudinal row of coils will lie along the longitudinal center of the spring structure. It is, of course, to be understood ,that if an uneven number of longitudinal rows of coilsl is provided in a spring structure, the two rows of Acoils which lie adjacent the center line of the spring structurek may be equipped with the coil stiffening elements in the same general manner as above described;

It will be further understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bed spring construction, an assembly of rigidly supported yieldable coils, and means for decreasing the normal yieldability of the lower portions of those coils lying substantially along the longitudinal center of said assembly.

2. In a bed spring construction, ay frame, a plurality of rigid elements extending transversely of said frainegan assembly of Vyieldable coils supported on said rigid elements, and coil stiiien- ,ring elements extending between said rigid ele- "iiients and intermediate portions of those coils lying substantially along the longitudinal center of said assemblyI whereby said stiffening elements will decrease the yieldability of those coils to Which theyare connected between their intermediate points of connection and the lower ends of saidcoils.

. Y3.;-'Ihe structuregin; claim `2 and said stiffening elemen'tshaving intermediate portions thereof in engagement 'with said intermediateI portions of said coils which lie substantially along the longitudinal rcenterofsaid assembly, and the endsof saidz-.stifieningvelements extending downwardly Ainto. engagement with said transverse rigid elements., g

4. The structure in claim 2Y and said coils having a plurality of intermediate convolutions` in .yielding contact with each other, and said stiffening ,elements being held by adjacent convolutions of said intermediate coil portions.

5. In a bed spring construction, a frame, a plurality of rigid elements extending transversely of lsaid frame,- yieldable coils supported on saidurigid elements, resilient coil stiffening elements having intermediate portions in engagernent with said coils;` the ends of said stiening elements being notched, and said transverse rigid elements beingv provided with means for engaging said notches.

6. In a bed spring construction, a. frame, a plurality of, rigid elements extending transversely of said frame, an assembly of yieldable coils supported on said rigid elements, resilient coil stiieningelements having intermediate portions inpengagement with those coils lying substantially along the longitudinal center of said assembly, the ends of said stiffening elements being bent to provide end securing means, and said transverse rigid elements being'formed to engage the bent ends vof said stiiiening elements.

GEORGE F. VENZKE. 

